Ethereum Foundation Exodus Grows

Two More Researchers Exit

The Ethereum Foundation saw the resignations of two top researchers on Monday, bringing the total number of high-profile departures to at least eight in recent months. Julian Ma and Carl Beek ended their respective four and seven-year tenures at the organization.

Ma contributed to Ethereum's censorship-resistant properties and cross-layer bridge algorithms and strategy, while Beek contributed to the early design of the Beacon Chain, which introduced proof-of-stake to the blockchain.

Carl Beek confirmed his last working day will be Friday, May 29. He added that he recently welcomed a newborn child and plans to spend more time with his family while considering his next steps. Ma said in a post to X that he left the Ethereum Foundation to focus on work in product and growth, adding the organization "is an amazing place but not right for my next steps."

A Broader Wave of Departures

Ma and Beek add to a wave of high-profile departures from the Ethereum Foundation this year, bringing the total to five senior developers and researchers who have left in May alone. The broader wave of exits has included prominent contributors such as Barnabé Monnot, Tim Beiko, Trent Van Epps, and Alex Stokes.

Tomasz K. Stańczak stepped down as co-executive director of the Ethereum Foundation in February, less than a year into the job, while Josh Stark resigned in March after seven years. In April, Josh Stark, a key researcher and project manager, said he was leaving the organization, which happened a day after Ethereum Foundation contributor Trent Van Epps announced his resignation.

The turnover comes as the foundation undergoes an internal transition tied to a new organizational mandate aimed at redefining its role within Ethereum, fueling debate across the community about the nonprofit's direction, governance, and long-term evolution. Most notably, the organization is said to have asked employees to sign a loyalty pledge after publishing a mandate outlining the EF's focus on CROPs values, short for Censorship resistance, Open source, Privacy, and Security.

Earlier this month, the Ethereum Foundation confirmed that Barnabé Monnot and Tim Beiko are moving on from the foundation while Alex Stokes takes a sabbatical, with Will Corcoran, Kev Wedderburn, and Fredrik stepping in as the new Protocol Cluster leads. As the foundation attempts to redefine its role in an increasingly decentralized Ethereum ecosystem, the growing list of departures has fueled fresh debate over whether the organization can evolve alongside the network it helped create.

Sources:
The Block: Two more Ethereum Foundation researchers resign amid wave of departures
CoinDesk: The Ethereum Foundation is facing a wave of high-profile departures as its internal shakeup deepens
Crypto.news: Ethereum Foundation loses 2 researchers as exits grow